Maybe that question is currently racing through your mind the same way that your anxiety does, maybe just the thought of going to church is making you anxious. Maybe you have been so depressed that even going to church seems like it would be more of a chore, than a benefit for you.
The answer, according to what research says, is yes. Going to church can actually help your depression and anxiety! Keep reading to find out how and why research says that going to church can help your depression and anxiety, but more importantly, keep reading to learn how going to church can help YOU as an individual, versus as a statistic.
1. Regular Church Attendance Significantly Lowers Your Risk of Depression
When did your depression first begin, can you remember? Maybe it was when you moved away from home for the first time, and you no longer felt that closeness of family. Maybe it was after you lost a loved one. Maybe it was after the heartbreak of a really bad break up. No matter the circumstance, within this life we all face hardship and pain, we all feel sorrow and loss, and we all truly struggle with something. Yet what is comforting is that, according to research, even with our struggles, church attendance can help lower your risk of depression.
Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, one of the most cited researchers on this topic, found that people who attended religious services frequently were 29% less likely to become depressed than those who never attended.  That’s not a small number. That’s nearly a third less likely, just from showing up.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”, Psalm 147:3
2. Community is the Hidden Medicine
You are probably asking yourself … Why?! How can going to church help lower my risk of depression, especially if the thing that made you me depressed would have happened whether you I were was going to church or not. Part of the answer? Community is the hidden medicine!
Harvard’s Robert Putnam found something surprising in his research: it’s not just theology or church attendance that increases wellbeing, it’s the friendships formed there. Gaining friends at church makes people both happier and “nicer,” while losing those friends has the opposite effect. Isolation fuels anxiety. Belonging fights it.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”, Galatians 6:2
3. Church Attendance Dramatically Reduces Suicide Risk
Church attendance does not just reduce the risk of developing depression, it also dramatically reduces the risk of suicide.
VanderWeele’s research on over 70,000 nurses found that those who attended services frequently were five times less likely to commit suicide than those who never attended, and 33% less likely to die during a 16-year follow-up period. These are staggering numbers that secular mental health conversations rarely mention.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”, Psalm 34:18
4. Faith Gives Your Pain a Purpose, and That Changes Everything
Above we talked about how even if you HAD been attending church, whatever caused or is causing your depression very likely still would have happened. So how does church attendance change that? Faith.
Faith gives our pain a purpose, and that purpose changes absolutely everything.
Research shows that expressing gratitude reduces anxiety, and gratitude is a core component of religious practice. Additionally, religious individuals tend to have a greater sense of purpose and perceived control over their lives, both of which are directly linked to lower anxiety and depression. When life feels meaningless, mental health suffers. Faith reframes suffering.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”, Romans 8:28
5. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health Confirms It Across Hundreds of Studies
You may be reading this and thinking “okay, but this is just ONE article, how is going to church REALLY going to help me?! The reality is though this is just one article, it is based off of the meta-analysis of hundreds.
The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health found that 78% of over 300 studies report a positive association between religiosity and well-being, 81% of 32 studies show a positive link to optimism, and 93% of 45 studies show a positive association with a sense of purpose and meaning.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”, Isaiah 26:3
As a church we believe the research because we have lived it, we have experienced it. We have seen first hand the ways that going to church doesn’t just change some things in life, but everything. As anxiety and depression fades, lives are transformed. We would love to pray for you specifically. If you would like a membership of our team to reach out and pray with you, please contact us here.